Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan says he’s been the victim of a “scam”, with his conviction and fine over an untaxed Nissan Micra that he never owned now being withdrawn by the DVLA.
Nonetheless, the three-term elected Labour politician was found guilty by a magistrate last month of keeping an unlicensed vehicle, in a criminal prosecution brought by the DVLA simply because the car’s documents bear the name ‘Sadiq Khan’ on it.
The magistrate, sitting in a private hearing of the Single Justice Procedure in Herefordshire, convicted that Sadiq in absentia and ordered that he pay a £220 fine, £85 in costs, and settle the £35.84 bill for unpaid tax on the Micra.
He said: “This is a scam, which is a crime. It’s not the first time the Mayor has been victim of a scam involving people falsely stating that Sadiq is the owner of a vehicle. “Such behaviour is illegal, and the DVLA are aware.”
The DVLA has now said that a criminal prosecution against Sir Sadiq will be withdrawn at a hearing at Hereford Magistrates’ Court.
The expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) to cover the whole of London brought on a wave of protests, including from motorists who said they planned to register their car in the Mayor’s name – supposedly to make him liable for the £12.50 daily charge.
Court documents show that DVLA letters addressed to the Mayor about the unpaid tax bill were sent to Gordon Ramsay’s east London restaurant, instead of the nearby TfL offices. This should have raised suspicion in the DVLA but no, they kept sending mails and court summons to the restaurant.
The Single Justice Procedure was invented in 2015 as a cheaper method of dealing with low-level criminal cases, allowing magistrates to sit alone and in private to hand out convictions rather than sitting in open court.
Sir Sadiq serves as the chair of TfL as part of his mayoral role, and the organisation has its offices on the 9th floor of 5 Endeavour Square in Stratford but court papers show the DVLA sent its letters to 9 Endeavour Square, a two-minute walk away from the TfL base, in a building where Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen, Bar & Rooftop occupies the top floor.